Carolina Business Articles

RTRP: Winning The Job War

New International Initiative

By Christine Bonin

       The Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP), the economic development coalition serving Wake, Chatham, Durham, Orange, Franklin, Granville, Vance, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Person and Warren Counties, with historical ties to the world-famous Research Triangle Park, has been hard at work implementing Staying on Top: Winning the Job Wars of the Future, a five-year plan to create 100,000 jobs in the region and boost employment in all 13 counties.

      We focus on a total program of collaboration, explains Mr. Charles Hayes, president and CEO of the RTRP. We are the facilitator between the entities that work to make our region successful. Their planning is paying off, and they have good news to share.

      Network Appliance, Inc. (NetApp), the leader in advanced networked storage solutions, this past October celebrated the grand opening of its newest technology center in Research Triangle Park. A prominent Park employer since 1999, the company currently employs 360 employees and operates a global service and support center in addition to a state-of-the-art data center with a capacity of multiple petabytes. NetApp has a strong working relationship with North Carolina State University and participates in the university's ePartners' program, a network of businesses that financially support the university's computer science department and undertakes collaborative work with faculty and students.

      In January, the August C. Stiefel Research Institute (SRI), a wholly- owned subsidiary of global pharmaceutical leader Stiefel Laboratories Inc., announced plans to move into the former Eli Lilly building in Research Triangle Park, creating over 200 jobs and investing more then $50 million in the region over the next five years. Stiefel Laboratories, with world headquarters in Coral Gables, Fla., employs nearly 2,800 people worldwide and specializes in the research, development and manufacture of prescription and over-the-counter skin care products to treat acne, psoriasis, hyperpigmentation and other conditions. The SRI facility in Durham County will conduct research and development in support of the company's worldwide initiatives.

      Cisco Systems has opened a global education and development center, further reinforcing its commitment to their RTP campus. The San Jose, Calif.-based firm has increased its Research Triangle Park headcount 15-fold in the past decade and by 20 percent since 2003, and is still growing. The 38,000-square-foot facility will train thousands of sales employees from Cisco and its partner companies from all over the nation for a week at a time to enhance their leadership, communication and business skills. The visitors will generate a strong economic boost for local hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. Conservative estimates indicate that in the first seven months of operation, the center's visitors will generate spending of at least $700,000 to $1 million in the local economy.

      Companies considering significant investments in our region are also evaluating the international market, explains Mr. Hayes. If we are going to stay competitive, we have to have an international plan. The RTRP has answered this challenge with a formal international strategy, building on the successful collaborations of the Staying on Top initiative. The new international strategy calls for the aligning of the region's organizations and resources to capture more international investment. Potential partners include public and private institutions that focus on international commerce, corporate partners, and universities and community colleges. Once aligned, these partners will focus on attracting more foreign investments to the region, aiding the region's employers with import and export functions, supporting the growth of existing international companies, educating the region's business and civic leadership, and creating a tight network of global partners.

      The initiative targets all the counties in the region, not just the Research Triangle Park. One of the best examples I've seen so far is in Person County, explains Mr. Hayes. N.R. SpunTech Industries LTD, an Israeli-based company, last year opened a manufacturing plant in Person County, bringing 60 high-tech manufacturing jobs and an investment of close to $25 million to the region. North Carolina State University, one of our knowledge partners, is producing state-of-the-art research in non-woven textiles, Mr. Hayes explains further. SpunTech produces non-woven textiles, and chose Person County to be close in proximity to NC State. These are the types of collaborations we will be working on with our international initiative.

      Other regional news includes results from the hard work of the Harnett County EDC. The Southeastern Transformer Company has announced plans to buy the 35,000-square-foot industrial building formerly known as the Dunn Shell Building. The company's growth plans are varied and include marketing of their heavy industrial painting services to a broader customer base, including the military. In addition, the company expects to expand its maintenance contracts, which are already a growing part of the business. Their new Field Service Division, launched in September, is also creating new job and business opportunities.

      In addition to Southeastern Transformers' new property, New Bern-based Eastern Building Components bought land next to its existing operation in Edgerton Industrial Park, Phase 1, late last year to expand its roof truss operation. Iowa-based Con-Trol began operations in January at Stoney Run Industrial Park, also in Dunn, effectively filling the industrial space there.

      In Granville County, Bailey Farms has announced plans to construct a $2.5M packaging and distribution facility in the Oxford Industrial Park. Bailey Farms ships over 28,000 cases of chile peppers every week to supermarkets from Maine to Florida through their network of partners in Florida and North Carolina.

      Moore County will soon be welcoming a pharmaceutical company to the area. Corneal Science Corporation has just announced that it will be moving and expanding its Vision Pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility from South Dakota to Aberdeen. This move will bring the company's manufacturing operations closer to its corporate headquarters in Raleigh. Corneal Science is a research-based, market driven ocular pharmaceutical company manufacturing and selling its own product under the brand VIVA Lubricating Eye Drops, an OTC drug for dry eye disease. It also manufactures for other companies under private label agreements. The company plans to construct a 20,000 to 25,000 square-foot building in Aberdeen and expects the building to be completed within 12 months. Once the building is completed, Corneal Science expects to employ 75 to 100 people as it expands over the next few years. In the meantime, they are moving ahead with the immediate establishment of an operation for packaging and distributing the eye solutions, which will immediately employ about 15 people.

      Moore County Partners in Progress, a public/private, non-profit organization responsible for recruiting new business and industry to Moore County, as well as assisting existing companies with expansion and retention needs, was instrumental in bringing two new employers to the region. PACE Worldwide Inc., a 50-year-old, privately held international company that manufactures industrial soldering equipment, has moved its manufacturing operations from Maryland to Moore County. PACE is leasing a 16,000 square foot building in the Sandhills Industrial Park and expects to complete their move by year-end. To begin operations, the company expects to hire about 35 employees immediately in manufacturing and assembly positions, possibly growing to 50 jobs within six months. Klima-Gro Inc., a manufacturer of indoor greenhouses for homes, offices and school classrooms is relocating from Florida to a portion of the Pinnacle Furnishings building east of Aberdeen. The company expects to hire five employees initially and to double that number within six months.

      Tackling the global market with collaborations and partnerships focused on the success of the region, the leadership of the Research Triangle Region stands prepared to face the future, whatever challenges it may bring.

      Christine Bonin, a freelance writer in Cary, NC, can he reached at bon2l3@bellsouth. net.

Reprinted from Carolina Business online.